Visions of Heaven
VISIONS OF HEAVEN
On Sunday, 11th June 1967 I was preparing to go to Church when I felt unwell. I was asked by my doctor (Dr K. N. Panicker) to. remain in bed.
For some days I was terribly weak, unable to. take normal food, unable to sleep properly, undergoing intensive medical treatment.
The doctor diagnosed the trouble as connected with my liver and treated me accordingly.
'During those days and nights of my illness I heard lovely. music.
In this neighbourhood there are three churches. and perhaps, I thought, people were singing in them.
Or perhaps there. were singing parties in nearby homes.
But it was not for a few hours only,.as,in a church service or a sacred concert, but. it was prolonged and continuous.
I could not see the singers, or the instruments on which they were playing.
Only the music. was heard, and: it was. delightful, enchanting, celestial, sweeter than any music on earth.
It was eight years since I retired. During those years I had had much time for study, meditation and prayer.
In his infinite goodness. God was giving me plenty of notice to get ready. My mind turned again and: again to. problems: of the future life.
Will there be a future life?
Will there: be opportunities in it for spiritual growth and loving service or will there be what can only be described as the peace of the grave?
We often speak of both these things together.
Everlasting rest or eternal growth—what is it going to be?
Shall we see God face to face?
Shall we recognize our relatives and friends in the multitude of immortal spirits or will there be no possibility of coming into personal contact with ~ them?
We know that if our children are to learn geography it is not enough to teach them in the class-room about different places with maps, atlases, globes, pictures and books.
Children should be taken on excursions to places of historical importance or natural beauty in the neighbourhood.
They must see for themselves such places so that their knowledge becomes vivid and clear.
God was now taking me on excursions to the heavenly regions.
VISIONS OF HEAVEN
In the visions which I saw during those days, life in heaven had three clear marks—love, peace and joy.
; I did not see God there even as I have not seen Him on earth.
'God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth' (John 4:24). The eternal God is not visible in heaven but the workings of His mind, the signs of His love, the evidence of His power are far more clear there than in this world.
We know He is there from His dynamic activity. Where God is, there is love.
Where God is, there is peace.
Where God is, there is joy.
In this world God's love, peace and joy are often sadly missing.
In a family where they may be expected to flourish they are frequently absent and disunity and friction prevail. Even in the Church discord and quarrels are rampant.
But this is not so in heaven.
I saw multitudes of human beings, clad in Indian garments.
As in any crowd, people were coming and going, busy on their errands.
But there was a pure atmosphere of love and peace.
In ordinary crowds there are misunderstandings, conflicts, passion and strife but in Heaven there is activity but not strife, service but not conflict.
The serenity of God dwells in the midst of activity.
The chimes which peal from time to time (and which I heard clearly) add to the joy of heaven, which has always a festive air.
The Bible teaches us that wherever there is God there are love, peace and joy.
In the First Epistle of John we read 'God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him' (1 John 4:16).
In his Epistle to the Philippians, St Paul writes: "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus'
(Philippians 4:7).
This is a blessing for which the Church often prays in its Services of worship.
Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man travelling into a far
'country who called his servants and é€ntrusted them with His goods.
'To one he gave five talents, to another he gave two and yet to another one; to each one according to his ability. The man who received the five talents traded with them carefully and intellingently and increased them to ten.
The man who received two talents increased them to four by his diligence and care. When the master of the house returned he was pleased with their industry and said to them that as a reward for their faithful service they
A. J. APPASAMY
could enter the joy of their Lord.
Joy is a characteristic of the life lived in eternal communion with God.
It is shared by all those who are faithful to Him (Matthew 25:14-23).
God brought home to me the great truth that love, peace and joy abound wherever God dwells.
My spiritual eyes and ears were opened and I beheld and heard spiritual things with increasing clearness.
In my visions I was welcomed into the fellowship of the faithful.
No words were spoken and yet I had the definite conviction that a hearty welcome was being given to me.
The things which the Bible taught were not mere abstract truths but became a part and parcel of my life.
There was a certainty about my convictions which could not be ignored.
One is only too aware of one's sins and shortcomings but God (like the father of the prodigal son) forgives and takes one into His loving fellowship; there is no doubt of its warmth and closeness,
In his Second Epistle to Corinthians, Chapter 12, St Paul teaches us briefly but clearly the principles we should follow in describing a mystical experience and estimating its value.
St Paul does not even mention the fact that he himself was the person who passed through that experience.
He simply says: 'I knew a man in Christ about fourteen years ago who was caught up to the third heaven' (verse 2).
Speaking of this man St Paul says: "Whether in the body I cannot tell or whether out of the body I cannot tell, God knows'
(verse 2).
In describing the mystical experience St Paul is extremely cautious, remembering the inadequacy of words to describe rare and sublime facts.
He declines to divulge what he heard during those ineffable moments.
He says that 'he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter' (verse 4). From the sense of awe with which St Paul speaks and the intensity of his conviction we know that the revelation he received at that time was of immense value.
But he himself dared not disclose this revelation to others lest they misunderstand or misinterpret it.
Any man recalling such-an experience might be tempted to glory in it, because he has received a special favour from God, a favour which has not been given to others.
Instead of taking
VISIONS OF HEAVEN
pride for having been chosen as an instrument for the disclosure of God's mind, Paul finds delight in remembering his infirmity and says "Though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth; but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me' (verse 6). He remembers that God's grace is his strength.
"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my, infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me' (verse 9).
From this brief but clear teaching of St Paul we realize the importance of mystical experience, the need to treasure its great value, and the fact that we ourselves are unworthy channels through which God's revelation comes and that we are helped in our infirmity by His grace.
The work of the Coimbatore Diocese is steadily growing.
It has been found necessary to put up an excellent building to accommodate the diocesan officials and their clerks.
As the first Bishop of the Diocese my portrait was unveiled on March 13, 1968 and many kind words were spoken by the present Bishop (Bishop S. J.
Samuel) and others on the occasion.
I was invited to be present and to give a devotional address to the Executive Committee of the Coimbatore Diocese.
I gave an account of the experience I had passed through on my sick bed in June 1967 and then commented on it:
Thinkers the world over have again and again wondered what sort of life is possible when the human body with which life as we know it is so closely associated, perishes.
The experience I had was this: At a time when my physical energy was at its lowest ebb, my life in the spirit was most active.
Many people confirm this from their experience.
Those who practise fasting, mortification or any other discipline of that kind do so because they are convinced that when the physical energies of man are functioning least, his spiritual powers are most active.
God may be invisible to the physical eye but not to the spiritual eye. The vision of love and fellowship among devotees may not be seen by the physical eye but it is certainly evident to the spiritual eye.
A. J. APPASAMY
Scientific students of religion are now beginning to understand a little more clearly that this is true.
Normally knowledge comes to us through our senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell.
Psychology has made rapid strides in modern times and has taught us that knowledge comes to us not through these senses only but through other senses as well. This extra-sensory perception is being studied with all the care and diligence with which the other phenomena of the world are studied and scientific students of religions are beginning to acknowledge that there is a measure of truth in this extra-sensory perception which may have been ignored in the past.
I have been thinking for several months on the meaning of my experience.
What exactly is its significance?
Is it all wishful thinking?
I have to make it clear that this particular experience at that time was quite unexpected.
It was not a part of my normal waking life.
It was not a dream, like other dreams which all of us have from time to time.
It was an experience in a class by itself.
An astronomer observes the sun with a telescope.
Because he has got that instrument to help him we say that he has a better knowledge of the sun than the one who sees the sun with his naked eyes. There are hundreds of men with telescopes constantly examining the sun today and coming often to different conclusions.
The results of their observations are summed up in careful scientific statements.
All that the astronomers with their telescopes can claim is that because of the instruments they are using they have a better knowledge of the sun than others.
All our knowledge of the future life is incomplete and fragmentary.
Why should we not say that those who happen to pass through mystical experience (as I did) have probably an understanding of certain aspects of reality different from that of others? We do not say to the astronomer: 'We do not see all that you describe. So what you say is all a figment of your imagination.'
Nor do we despise him as a visionary or a dreamer because he reports things which we do not see.
I closed my address to the Executive Committee with a personal testimony.
I have sought God and tasted of His goodness
VISIONS OF HEAVEN
for the last seventy-six years.
From my young years I have committed myself into His hands.
I have experienced His love and goodness throughout my life both in joy and in sorrow.
The Maratha Christian poet N. V. Tilak has taught us what Prayer at its best: is. of 'Prayer is the gracious Father's knee; On it the child climbs lovingly.
Love's rain, the Spirit's holy ray, And. tears. of joy, are theirs who pray, To walk with God, to feel His kiss, Yes, prayer, His servant owns, is this.'
(Bhakti Niranjana, p. 85) When Sundar Singh went on a preaching tour to Switzerland in 1922 he was called upon to pray at a small private reception.
He offered this prayer:
'Our Lord God, our all in all, Life of our life, and Spirit of our spirit, look in mercy upon us and'so fill us with Thy
Holy, Spirit that our hearts, shall have. no room. for love of aught but Thee.
We seek from Thee no other gift but Thyself, who art the Giver of life and all its blessings.
From Thee we ask not for the world or its treasures, nor yet for heaven, but Thee alone do we desire and long for, and where Thou art there is Heaven.
The hunger and the thirst of this heart of ours can be satisfied only with Thee who hast given it birth. O our Creator!
Thou hast created our hearts for Thyself alone, and not for another, therefore these our hearts can find no rest or ease save in Thee, in Thee who hast both created them and set in them this very longing for rest.
Take away then from our hearts all that is opposed to Thee, and enter and abide and rule for ever.
Amen.'
This is also my constant prayer, my longing, my deep desire.